Some in Baltimore believe that the city should keep its Confederate monuments, but add signs for teaching purposes.

"You can't just bury your head when it comes to history. We don't need a memory hole. We need to know the truth," said Rosalind Heid.

Some said removing the monuments creates a double standard.

"Would anyone seriously entertain the idea of taking down Billie Holiday's statue because she was addicted to narcotics? Of course not. She was a great American, just as were those great men and women whose lives are now under attack for their moral lapses," said Zippy Larson.

Thomas Coplin also argued a double standard, but he wants the monuments gone.

"They terrorize the country, trying to tear it apart, and yet we have monuments to them where we don't have monuments for the Japanese who bombed Pearl Harbor," Coplin said.

Then there was an idea from a 13-year-old who lives across the street from a monument.

"The Lee and Jackson monument should be moved to a Civil War museum, or an artist should be commissioned to install a statue of an enslaved person next to the monument," said Saratu Kehinde.

Others said the monuments symbolize slavery and racism and have no place in public.

"I challenge those who belittle this issue to look beyond their investment in the status quo to understand how white supremacy and anti-black policy have shaped the trajectory of our city," said Jazzmen Knoderer.

The commission is expected to give its recommendations to the mayor's office early next year.